Anyone thinking of upgrading to bigger car before baby comes?

dp21 · August 2014

Hey all,

My hubby and I have been debating whether or not to upgrade our cars and if so how big. We have two economy cards, Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra. It is already a pain to borrow other people's SUVs on occasion to get stuff for our house, when we go to Lowes, IKEA etc. at times. I imagine things will get much tougher with a baby in back. So we are thinking about upgrading. Also both of our cars are 7 and 8 years old respectively......they run great, but might want to upgrade for safety reasons.

Hubby was thinking a mini-van, but they are soo ugly! I also couldn't believe how expensive they are (new). I have always wanted to own a new car, never have, but maybe this is not the time. I was looking on craigslist for a smaller SUV (Honda CRV) and at bigger SUVs like Chevy Traverse.

Anyone have an opinion to what to get? Pros/cons? Any recommendations to check out? We probably will go with 2011 or newer for a used SUV.

pblge · August 2014

We have to...at least if we ever plan on taking the dog and the baby somewhere at the same time. We have a Civic (one car family, which worked out well in our last city, but has occasionally been a problem in this crappy public transport city), and no other human can fit when we have our extra large greyhound in the car. We've been looking at Rav4s and Foresters. Can't remember why we ruled out the CRV some time back, but it might have been based on how my very tall OH fit. Sometimes weird things like rear view mirror placement will made a car an impossible choice for him. We did a lot of research on Consumer Reports before choosing these cars.

If we were a bit richer we'd get a Prius V. Those things are amazing, but expensive and they're very hard to find used. If we didn't have a large dog, we'd definitely buy the Honda Fit. They did an amazing job designing that thing, and it has almost as much storage room as the CRV. The dog is just too tall for the back.

I feel like the minivan happens with multiple kids, or when they're old enough that you have to cart around a bunch of their friends.

LO95 · August 2014

DH is concerned about this. One of our cars is a Toyota Yaris 85K and the other a 2-door Civic 200K. At this point we are trying to decide- bigger car or bigger house. (Our house is 1,000 sq ft with 1 bath and no basement.)

At this point, I just want to be pregnant so I'm leaving it up to DH.

poohniki · August 2014

My husband upgraded as soon as we started IVF (4 years ago) and we got a used Volvo XC90. What boggled my mind is that the car had less miles and more safety features than some of the used Fords we looked at in the same price range. So I recommend checking out used 'luxury' type SUVs since they seem to be the same price used as the standard SUV and often have better features (and this one had an awesome warranty).

Good luck and I hope the shopping isn't too stressful. I have such anxiety making huge purchases and buying a new car is something that stresses me out big time.

Margritli · August 2014

Funny you should post this. DH just came home with broschures for new cars. I took one look at them and burst into tears. Too many changes all at once and I am emotional wreck. Realistically, though, we will probably have to upgrad. We are a one-car household, so we need to all fit in. DH is thinking about a VW Caddy.

hopeby2015 · August 2014

Back in July, it was time to do my yearly state inspection on my 9 yr old car that had about 135k miles. It didn't pass and would cost about $1k to fix. We decided that with the snow we get here plus the baby on the way, it just made sense to upgrade and not fix the car. We ended up getting the 2014 Rav4. I wanted a certified used but we are a 1 car family and didn't have adequate time to shop around. I like Toyotas for their durability. My dad has a car from Toyota that has something 315k miles on it so, we knew it would from the Toyota family. And we wanted a bigger car but not a gigantic car so that why we chose the mini suv - Rav4.

Good luck with your decision!

runawaylaurel · August 2014

We have a new Ford Fusion and a 2008 Honda Fit with 150k miles on it. I LOVE the Fit and it has amazing storage capabilities, like @pblge said, but we've been looking at those enormous convertible car seats and between huge car seat, medium dog, and a couple suitcases/tent/coolers (we hike a lot) it wasn't going to be quite enough for us.

My parents have graciously offered to sell us their newer Mazda 5 (we love hatchbacks) at a good price. It has more backseat room and "trunk" space, plus a trailer hitch. I'm hoping it'll be sufficient for us.

I'm not a minivan person but ask me again in a few years and I might change my mind.

dp21 · August 2014

Thanks everyone, I think we should go with smaller SUV. It should meet most of our needs most of the time.

If anyone else is interested, found this link to best affordable compact SUVs by US News and Ranking, ranks them by safety, reliability, and performance, etc.

https://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Affordable-Compact-SUVs/

xc1148 · August 2014

My dad wants me to get a Tahoe lol. I would just consider things like higher insurance premiums and gas mileage. If you have room in the budget, especially with an older car, I would go for it.

I'm debating getting a new car, but not really for the baby, more because I wanted one anyway. And not new (I don't buy new) but <20k miles with some neat features. We have two roomy sedans so no need.

dp21 · August 2014

@xc1148 a Tahoe lol!! Love it! Yes, definitely considering gas mileage. We love our civic and sentra for affordability. I am also having a hard time accepting a car payment, we haven't had one in 6 years! I didn't think about insurance, thanks for bringing that up! Luckily I drive less than 3 miles to work and hubby is only 15 minutes away (10 minutes on highway).

Definitely open to getting used, we have soo many expenses right now...infertility bills, I'm in grad school, and of course getting stuff ready for baby.

It is just soo overwhelming! But I know we do really need something bigger, plus I just looked up rating on my 2006 Nissan Sentra (not the safest car). Hubby's 2007 Honda Civic is pretty safe and we will definitely keep his car and replace mine.

Thanks everyone for all the tips so far. Lots to think about!

WA1215 · August 2014

I'm glad you posted this, op! We've been debating the same, since I'm a FTM, and I have a small sedan as well. We are thinking about leasing a Toyota Rav4.

BabyKsMommy · August 2014

I did recently upgrade my car too. I purchased a nissan murano after I had ds. I really liked that car, it had a backup camera and bluetooth. It was super roomy but still a five seater.

After we found out about the twins I decided I wanted a minivan. With 3 kids plus all the stuff I wanted something bigger. So we got an odessey. I do really like it but it is huge.

chucktgirl · August 2014

Yes, we are getting ready for it. DH has been wanting a Tahoe forever, but we could never justify it. So, a few years ago, I told him if he got me pregnant he could buy one! So he's actually looking now. I told him we need to wait until I pass viability though. I also will need a bigger car, as mine is a tiny coupe. I'm looking at Subarus.

lcloffredo · August 2014

When my husbands car died we just made it by with my Altima. When we found out we were pregnant we decided to add another car. When we found out it was twins we decided on a minivan to fit all three and the car seats. We looked at larger SUVs but ended up with a honda odyssey. We got a 2011 and saved a few thousand. A lot of 2011s I found out were leased and recently returned so they are in good shape with decent miles.

Hopeful1029 · August 2014

DH just sold his pick up (no room for a car seat ) for a previously owned dodge Durango (2004, good mileage on it, runs great and has super amounts of space! 3rd row seating,even!) I'm looking at getting a dodge journey

mdiblasi10 · August 2014

Mini-vans are pretty awesome, I must admit. We've driven in a friends and had one for a rental car last year. They really are great for kids, dogs and travel.

We drive and love our Infiniti's. We bought them both used. DH has the G37 sedan and I have the FX35 SUV. Since we have a Mastiff and our second baby coming in January, we are planning to get a seven passenger SUV at some point next year. We are considering a few options still, but we like the Infiniti QX60.

Good luck!

MKateG · August 2014

I have a four runnner 04 but I love it! I will never drive anything else I'm planning to get a new 4runner in a couple years, if I had to suggest an suv definitely a 4runner :-) DH did just get a 13 tacoma he had an old single cab tacoma no room for two babies

P.S. the new 4runners can come with third row seating :-)

kmc84 · August 2014

I know I'm a little late to this, but to everyone who has or is thinking about a Toyota Rav4, please be aware that this is a FOUR person vehicle with five seats. The drivers side and center rear seats can NEVER be occupied at the same time due to the very shitty seatbelt design. This is true for all 2006 and newer. Toyota has finally added this (slightly important :-O ) bit of information to the 2014 manuals. @pblge‌ @ducky719 @hopeby2015‌ @WA1215

I hope you already know this, but since most people don't, I just wanted to let you know. Also, it doesn't matter if you use LATCH to install the car seat in the drivers side, it still interferes with the center seatbelt.

Here is a picture of why:

https://vicarseattechs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/A1-overlapping-belts.jpg

pmpknbride · August 2014

I'd love a new car, but I plan to wait 5+ years if I can. I have a Subaru legacy which I'm sure will be fine with one kid to run errands and what not. DH has a Camry hybrid that is only 3 years old but he racks up mileage fast. For weekend trips we should be able to make do using his car. For longer trips we will borrow one of our parents cars or rent a car for the rare occasion we need something bigger. Right now paying off the student loans and saving for a larger home on my priority. On another note, when I do get a mom-mobile, I want a Toyota highlander hybrid!

dp21 · August 2014

@KMC84 Thanks for sharing, we were going to look at Toyota Rav4! We are going to look at Honda CRV too.

dp21 · August 2014

@KMC84 Starting to look at which cars will fit car seats well. Here is a blog I found, not sure how true info is in it, but it got me thinking.

The Car Seat Lady

kmc84 · August 2014

@dp21‌ The Car Seat Lady is an excellent resource as is Car Seats for the Littles.

For all moms and moms to be:
I highly recommend joining CSFTL on FB. There is so much carseat misuse and even 'minor' things can be deadly in an accident. CSFTL follows best practice (with scientific evidence) for car seat safety, so if you want to learn how to keep your baby safe, that's the place to go!

ajlmom · August 2014

I wasn't going to originally cuz DH has an SUV. But since DH crashed my Jetta and scared the crap out of her 24 week pregnant wife I'm gonna make him get me my dream car, 2014/2015 Nissan Rouge with power liftgate and third row seat! We can borrow our ILs extra car for now and maybe get the new car after baby comes in the spring next year.

dp21 · August 2014

@heleng5 I want to check out the Nissan Rougue too! I heard the third row seating is really tiny though......need to see it in person.

ajlmom · August 2014

dp21 said:

@heleng5 I want to check out the Nissan Rougue too! I heard the third row seating is really tiny though......need to see it in person.

I checked it out a couple of months ago and the 3rd row looked okay to me. We have two dogs and I would feel better putting them on the 3rd row instead the cargo area. With LO coming the power liftgate is a must! I hate having to close DH's outback's liftgate it's a pain (I'm short which made it even harder).

I absolutely love the Rogue (the 2014 redesigned model), the only thing is it's one of the most wanted compact SUVs right now and Nissan has NOT had any promotions on the car since it came out. I'm hoping for deals to come up in the winter since less people will buy then.

hopeby2015 · August 2014

@kmc84‌ - wow! Did not realize this! We already have it and after lo is born, we'll only be 3 people in the car .. guess we'll have to make do .. thanks for the info!

dp21 · August 2014

@heleng5 Test drove the Nissan Rogue and loved it, especially the 360 camera. It was my first time driving an SUV and that camera is a must! They only had 3 on the lot and none with a third row to check out

SKLH · August 2014

I'm looking at either getting a Jeep Patriot or Liberty. I currently have a bright candy apple red 2 door Toyota Solara (with 102k miles on it) I ADORE my car but I think it's time to move on with baby coming.

Allison7 · August 2014

@dp21‌ I just got a new car last month and the Rogue was high on my list. I loved the camera and the restyling on the new models, so it was on high up on the short list...until I checked the safety ratings. On one of the 5 star tests it scored a 3 and on another it scored a 2. We asked the salesperson about it (hoping that there was some sort of explanation) and were just told that he didn't know why it scored low because he felt it was relatively safe and he gave us no reason to believe his safety rating

the other thing was the use of CVT. It helps gas mileage, but depending on where you live the car may feel as if it needs more power. I live in a very hilly area and on the test drive I had the petal all the way on the floor on a very steep hill. I actually took it on two test drives - the first didn't have any major hills so I thought the drive was great...but it was that second drive that raised some questions.

In the end, I replaced my VW Jetta Sportwagen with a Jetta Sportwagen my old one went 160k and it would have gone for another 160k. The cargo space is incredible in it and fuel mileage is pretty awesome. It doesn't have all wheel drive, but I never had a problem in the old one, so I feel confident driving this one. The only change I made this time was switching to diesel. I would have purchased the diesel one when I got the first one, but at the time it was so in demand that they were charging over msrp for it. This time, they are getting ready for a new restyled model, so you can get a pretty good deal now.

GL! Try to enjoy the car search as much as you can.

dp21 · August 2014

@Allison7 We also looked up the safety ratings today too and were disappointed....no Rogue for us. We loved all the features though. We looked at CRV and were unimpressed after seeing the Rogue. May go with Toyota Rav 4, we thought the features were in between Rogue and CRV, but we forgot to check out whether or not it can seat 5 with seatbelts. So we will need to return to check that out.

Allison7 · August 2014

@dp21‌ Yeah, I have no idea how Nissan overlooked those safety issues. It is so nicely styled and has great features, but it isn't worth it if the trade off is safety. We had also really liked the Ford Escape, but the recall history on that one is terrifying. I also found the CRV unimpressive - it seemed like Honda was just relying on it being a best seller in the past and hadn't paid attention to what the competition was offering. Some of the features were just lacking compared to the Rogue. I didn't look at Toyota, so I have no knowledge on the RAV4. Just take your time and you will find the right one.

kmc84 · August 2014

@dp21‌ the Rav4 is a FOUR person vehicle with five seatbelts. You can never, ever, ever have someone in the driver side and center seat at the same time.

ETA: it says this in the new manuals (2014 on, but is true for 2006 on) I have seen several people who were sold a Rav4 as a 'family' car and the salespeople had no idea of this restriction

dp21 · August 2014

So far think, Subaru Forrester might be top choice between safety/comfort/style/cargo. We just need to see the Mazda CX-5.

pblge · August 2014

Update for us: We more or less just bought a Rav4 (title is still pending, so it's on hold until after the holiday weekend). We both sat in the backseat, in those problem seats, and it was actually fine. Couldn't feel the seat belt under my butt at all. That said, you probably could not put a car seat there with someone in the middle seat, but honestly I'm not sure about that as a problem, either.

One note about the Rav4: After 2013, it's no longer a recommended model because it did poorly (the official term) on one of the crash tests. Whatever you choose, you might want to check the crash test results. Our precious little bundles deserve it!
https://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/toyota/rav4

kmc84 · August 2014

@dp21‌ I know it's not exactly the same, but very similar-I have a Subaru outback and I love it! We can fit a ton of stuff in the back, handles great, pretty decent mpg, and no issues with car seats. We used a Britax b safe for A until she was 8 months and we have a Clek Foonf for her convertible.

dp21 · August 2014

@pblge Yep, we watched all those crash videos. That's why we picked the subaru over rav 4. Man, so many things to consider. @kmc84 awesome! Thanks for your advice

I think subaru is our top choice, just gotta check out one more car on the list, mazda was closed today boo

ajlmom · August 2014

I'm confused with the safety rating for the Rogue

https://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Nissan_Rogue/Safety/

It seems to be a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety but scored so well based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

i'm seriously looking into cars now cuz we found out my Jetta was totaled in the car accident. I have rental car coverage so hopefully they will give me a month. I'm still considering the Rogue but it's hard to find a SV with power liftgate and 3rd row seat

dp21 · August 2014

@heleng5, ok so the Rogue does well on IIHS which is funded by insurance companies, but does not do well on the tests done by NHTSA funded by the government (the 5 star crash safety ratings you see). My hubby and I decided to only go with vehicles that does well with both organizations and figured that would be a safe bet. The NHTSA rates the Rogue 3 star front passenger...the kicker...if you scroll down it is 2 star for women and 3 for men (so really it should be listed as 2.5 stars instead of 3)...which to me...if unacceptable. I've been in two car totaling accidents myself, so I take all of this seriously, once a guy just ran a red light and hit us!

https://www.nhtsa.gov/ - funded by government, U.S. Department of transportation 5 star crash ratings you see, Rogue doesn't do well on this site and not as well in a few categories.

https://www.iihs.org/ - funded by auto insurance/insurance agencies, Rogue does very well here.

Both are non-profit

I'd say skip reading reviews and go straight to the data between both of these websites. Hubby and I made a spreadsheet safety ratings/cost/ranked how we liked it in person/gas mileage etc. We looked at Rogue, Rav 4, CRV, and Forrester. We still need to see the Mazda CX-5.

We are thinking we will probably end up with an Outback or Forrester. Heard the Outback drives better and the ratings are just as good if not better, so plan to check it out. We liked the Rogue the best in terms of amenities/luxury....but safety is our #1 priority. The way we look at it, that's probably why they have all those other amenities to bring buyers in. Like the CRV is soo stripped down, Honda doesn't even try because you know it is going to be safe and reliable. Subaru is in the middle with amenities, not as good as Rogue, but not bad either and it's safe! We have never owned a Sabaru, so a little nervous to try a new company. We are Honda people, but Honda needs to try a little harder

Hopeful1029 · August 2014

What does anyone think of the Nissan Murano?

ajlmom · August 2014

@dp21‌ DH has a 2012 Subaru Outback and I drove it last week when he was away. We really like it, he said the steering is good, gets decent gas mileage and has good safety rating. The only thing I wish it had was a power liftgate. I'm barely 5'2" so sometimes it's hard for me to close the trunk.

dp21 · August 2014

@heleng5 Gotcha, the one we are looking at his powerlift gate, dual climate control, back up camera etc. Think they have a lot more amenities now! We plan to get the high trim level with leather seats too which has heated seats in back seat too!

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